The invention relates generally to a hose assembly, and more particularly to a robust hose assembly for conducting preconditioned air from an air delivery system to a destination.
Most aircraft have multiple air conditioning systems which are used during different periods of operation. That is, an aircraft that is flying or taxiing on a runway must intake fresh air and condition the air onboard. On the other hand, an aircraft that is parked generally receives preconditioned air from an external source. These external sources can be mobile systems or systems built into a terminal, passenger boarding bridge, or hangar.
To supply preconditioned air to a parked aircraft from an external preconditioned air source, the aircraft must be connected to the preconditioned air source via a duct or hose. As can be expected, preconditioned air hoses can be rather large to accommodate the necessary airflow to control the environment in a large aircraft. For example, these hoses can have inner diameters on the order of 8 to 14 inches. In addition, because the aircraft cannot always be brought into close proximity with the preconditioned air source, some hoses must be quite long.
It can be appreciated that these hoses, due to their length and diameter, are often quite heavy. For example, a 14 inch diameter hose that is 60 feet long can weigh in excess of 60 pounds. Operators must move these hoses across the paved surfaces of the tarmac and runways to stretch the hoses from the preconditioned air sources to the aircraft. Dragging a long, heavy hose across paved surfaces can be quite difficult and inevitably leads to wear and degradation of the exterior of the hose. In some cases, the hoses are simply left on the tarmac to be run over by aircraft and other vehicles. This type of use contributes to the wear and degradation of the hose.
One solution to reduce wear on the hoses has been to include an abrasion-resistant scuff guard. While this scuff guard has reduced wear on the external fabric of the hoses, it increases the weight of the hoses considerably. A typical 60-foot hose with scuff guard can weigh around 84 pounds. In addition, the scuff guard does little to prevent wear from vehicle tires running over the hose.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a system that protects the exterior of the hoses from wear in various situations while also reducing the weight of the hoses.